The internet may have democratized publishing, but not everyone has something to write. Iowa City native Erik Therme did, and he self-published his first novel, Mortom, in February.
Mortom unravels the story of Andy Crowl, an oddly chosen heir and cousin to a recently-deceased loner, playing “the game” his cousin set up for him. A mystery novel driven by clues, family secrets and twists and turns, online reviews gush about its fast pace and page-turning qualities.
The novel is set in the fictionalized town of Mortom, which is based on a real small town, and it would make sense if it were set in Iowa — we certainly have plenty of small towns to choose from, and keeping the research on a location close to home makes tons of sense to writers with a day job.
Therme’s Q&A on Smashwords, an e-publishing platform for independent publishers and authors, is very endearing. “Never give up and do whatever it takes to get your writing into the world,” he tells new authors.
On Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m., he will give a reading of Mortom at
Self-publishing requires passion, persistence and perseverance, and more social media marketing than anyone ever anticipates. The curious can find Therme on his website, Amazon marketplace, Facebook, Facebook again and GoodReads.
